Welder Prevailing Wage Rates in Virginia (2026)
Welders on prevailing wage projects in Virginia are paid $15.74 per hour, with a median total of $15.74 across the 1 determination records listed below. That total is base rate plus fringe benefits; the median base rate is $12.78, and among the 1 records listing a fringe separately the median fringe is $2.96. Rates differ by county, construction type and funding source, so use the row that matches your project.
Figures above are computed over the 1 hourly records in the table below. They are not a statewide average of all welders in Virginia. Most recent determination in this set: May 18, 2026.
How much do welders earn on prevailing wage jobs in Virginia?
Every row below is one wage determination line: a welder classification, in one county, for one construction type, under one funding source. The rate that applies to your project is the row whose county, construction type and funding source all match it — a Highway rate does not apply to a Building project in the same county, and a state determination does not substitute for a federal one.
| Classification | County | Construction type | Funding | Base | Fringe | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder (Hydraulic Dredges Under 20"") | King | Heavy | #federal | $12.78 | $2.96 | $15.74 |
What does the welder classification cover?
Welding is rarely its own classification on a Davis-Bacon determination. The standard rule is that a welder is paid the rate of the craft they are performing the welding for — a welder on structural steel gets the ironworker rate, a welder on process pipe gets the pipefitter rate. Where a determination does list a welder rate, it usually appears as a premium added to a craft rate.
Work typically covered
- Structural welding
- Pipe welding
- Plate and vessel welding
- Welder qualification testing
- Cutting and gouging
Also listed as
- Welder (craft rate applies)
- Combination Welder
Welder rates by county in Virginia
Prevailing wage is set county by county. These are the Virginia counties with welder records in the set above — open one to see every classification on that county's determination, not just this trade.
Other trades in Virginia
Welder prevailing wage questions
What is the prevailing wage for a welder in Virginia?
Across the 1 federal-funded determination records WageFinder lists for welders in Virginia, total prevailing wage runs from $15.74 to $15.74 per hour, median $15.74. There is no single statewide figure: each county's determination sets its own rate, and the same county can carry different rates for Building, Highway, Heavy and Residential work.
Does the welder rate include benefits?
The total prevailing wage shown is the base hourly rate plus the fringe benefit rate. Of the 1 Virginia records on this page, 1 list a fringe amount separately, with a median of $2.96 per hour — roughly 19% of the median total. The rest list no separate fringe, meaning the base rate is the whole obligation. Fringe can be paid as bona fide benefit plan contributions, as cash added to the paycheck, or as a mix of both.
Which Virginia counties have welder rates?
This page lists welder records for 1 county in Virginia: King. Determinations that apply statewide appear under a statewide entry rather than a named county.
How current are these Virginia welder rates?
The most recent determination in this set is dated May 18, 2026. WageFinder re-reads the official sources weekly, but the date that matters for compliance is the determination date on the document itself, which is shown on every wage detail page and links back to the government source.
Running certified payroll against these rates?
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